University of Georgia Athletics
Great Defense And A Little Luck Carried Georgia To SEC Title
November 05, 2023 | Soccer, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Nearly seven minutes into Mallie McKenzie's 95th game as a Georgia soccer player, the most in program history, the fifth-year midfielder sent a cross toward the goal from the right side. It was early in Sunday afternoon's SEC tournament championship game, but one well-executed play or bit of luck, or both, is sometimes all it takes.
Facing top-seeded and No. 10-ranked Arkansas at Ashton Brosnaham Park in Pensacola, Fla., McKenzie's cross into traffic, toward forward Hannah White, deflected off a Razorback defender and bounced into the goal near the right post. It was an own goal, and those are always a bit sad and unfortunate, but it was also a 1-0 lead for the No. 2-seeded Bulldogs.
About 83 minutes later, after much hustling and defending by the Georgia defense and goalkeeper Jordan Brown, the clock ran out. The scoreboard still read 1-0, and the Bulldogs were SEC champions for the first time in program history.
"I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of these women," head coach Keidane McAlpine said in a TV interview shortly after the championship belonged to Georgia. "If you think of the adversity we went through in this game and in this tournament, it's unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. I'm so proud."
In the quarterfinals, against Kentucky, Georgia (11-4-5) played a woman down due to a red card for nearly the entire game, but still managed to come away with a 2-1 win. In the semis, the Bulldogs got behind Texas A&M 1-0 in the first half, tied it in the second, and then prevailed in overtime, 3-2, on Croix Bethune's game-winning goal with 27 seconds remaining.
A month ago, on Oct. 5 in Fayetteville, Arkansas (14-4-2) beat the Bulldogs 2-1. After a scoreless first half, the Razorbacks scored twice in the span of about four minutes before Georgia, coincidentally, was the beneficiary of an own goal. In 180 minutes against the Hogs, the Bulldogs have two goals against them, but neither touched a Georgia player before going into the net.
When goals are as precious as they are in soccer, you'll take what you can get. And in the first half Sunday, Georgia put its share of pressure on the Arkansas defense and goalkeeper Phoebe Carver. At halftime, Georgia had five shots to Arkansas' seven, and the scoreboard read 1-0.
It was a much different game in the second half. The Razorbacks were more aggressive and more attacking from the outset, and most of the final 45 minutes took place on Georgia's half of the field. But Brown and the defense answered the challenge again and again.
An Arkansas header went over the crossbar with about 39 minutes left. Four minutes later, another header went a bit high. Brown made a diving save near the 21-minute mark, and punched the ball away soon after. With 90 seconds left, another Razorback header went just high. And with 30 seconds remaining, Georgia's Jessie Dunn was called for a handball about 30 yards from goal, and the Bulldogs warded off that attempt, too.
By the end, the Hogs had outshot the Bulldogs 18-7, with seven shots on goal to Georgia's three, but the scoreboard read 1-0. And the championship trophy was in the Bulldogs' hands.
"Now we know how to win. Now we know how to dig deep, because we had to fight for everything. Now we know anything is possible. We've played a schedule worthy of a champion, and now we know how to pull through and get it done," McAlpine said in the TV interview.
Georgia was playing for an SEC tournament title for the fourth time in program history, but its first since 2008. McAlpine, in his second season as head coach after coming to Athens from USC, guided the Bulldogs to the top of the conference one year after leading Georgia back to the NCAA tournament.
Before last season, Georgia hadn't played in the NCAA tourney since 2014, and hadn't won a game in the tournament since 2011. The Bulldogs also hadn't reached the semifinals of the SEC tournament since 2010. In McAlpine and his staff's first go-round, Georgia reached the semis of the conference tournament and hosted an NCAA tournament game for the first time since 2007. As a No. 7 seed, the Bulldogs beat Samford in the first round.
"I thought we had a good season, but where we're trying to go, it's not where we want to be," he said after last season, when the Bulldogs finished 13-6-3 after losing in the second round of the NCAAs.
In the postgame interview, McAlpine gave a lot of credit to the veteran players that have been in the program for years — players like McKenzie, Dunn, Madison Haugen and more — for helping make such a special moment possible.
"Those people that were here before, I'm so happy for them," McAlpine said. "They've earned it, they've been through it all, and now they got a chance to taste the top."
The NCAA tournament brackets will be released Monday, and Georgia should host a first-round game for the second year in a row. After that, anything is possible.
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
